What can we be thankful for?

(Michael Larsen, May 31, 2020)

1 Thessalonians 5:18 

"... give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

Some verses in the Bible are very, very challenging. At a time like this, it might be difficult to give thanks for your circumstances. We have to ask, “What can we be thankful for in these circumstance?” If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you can always thank God for these four things.

1.  I’M GRATEFUL TO GOD FOR THE GRACE HE’S SHOWN TO ME

The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8 “You have been saved by grace through believing.  You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.”  What is grace?  Grace is everything God does for you even though you don’t deserve it.  Grace is God giving you what you need instead of what you deserve.  The Bible says that everything you have comes by grace.  You don’t earn it, you don’t deserve it, you don’t work for it.  It’s just a free gift.  

In Psalm 103:2-11, there’s a list of just some of the things God does in our lives by grace.  He says, “I will not forget the glorious things God does for me.  He forgives all my sins.  He heals me.  He ransoms me from hell.  He surrounds me with love.  He fills my life with good things.  He is merciful and tender to those who don’t deserve it.  He is slow to get angry.  He never bears a grudge.  He has not punished us as we deserve for our sins.”  Are those things to be thankful for?  I’d say so.  

2.  I AM THANKFUL TO GOD FOR THE PLAN HE HAS FOR ME

Life is not an accident.  You were made for a reason.  You were made for a purpose.  God has a plan for your life. And it’s a good plan.  God says this in Jeremiah 29:11  “`I have good plans for you’, says the Lord, `I don’t plan to hurt you.  I plan to give you hope and a good future.’”  That is something you can thank God for. God’s plan is so good and so great that He even takes our mistakes and the things that other people do to hurt us and bring good out of those.  God’s plan for your life is not all happy, all comfortable.  God’s plan includes pain in your life.  And God’s plan includes some disappointments.  God’s plan in your life involves some unanswered prayers. And God’s plan certainly involves some discipline. Yet He does it all for good.  It’s for a future.

3.  I’M GRATEFUL FOR THE HOME HE’S PREPARED FOR ME IN HEAVEN

2 Corinthians 5:1 “We know that our body will be destroyed.  But when that happens God will have a house for us.  It will not be a house made by human hands.  Instead it will be a home in heaven that will last forever.”

God makes human beings to last forever.  One day your body is going to die, but that’s not going to be the end of you.  The Bible says you were created in God’s image and that means you have a soul.  You will spend eternity one of two places – heaven or hell, depending on whether you received Christ and trusted His grace or not.  Christians don’t have to worry about death because we know where we’re going when we die.  So we don’t have to be afraid of death.  We can actually be thankful to God because He’s shown us His grace.  And while we’re on earth He has a plan for us. And when we leave this earth, if we’ve trusted Christ and His grace, He’s going to take us to heaven.  And I’m grateful for a home in heaven.

Does everybody go to heaven?  Absolutely not.  The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 1:4-6  “God has reserved for His children the priceless gift of eternal life.  It’s kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.  And God in His mighty power will make sure you get there safely to receive it because you’re trusting Him so be truly glad.” So heaven is only for God’s children.  How do you get to be His child?  By asking in faith to become a part of His family, by trusting in His Son, Jesus Christ.  

4.  I’M THANKFUL TO GOD FOR THE CHANGES HE’S MAKING IN ME

I am so glad that I am not the same person I used to be.  God is helping make changes in my life that I could never do on my own.  I’m so grateful for that.  I’m also grateful to God that I’m not the person I’m going to be.  Everyday God is making me better. And one day in Heaven, I’ll be perfect.

God sees your potential when nobody else saw it.  And when maybe everybody else is writing you off and saying, worthless!  God says, “No.  I see the diamond in you and I made you and I value you.  I’m going to start making some changes in you.”  The moment you became a believer He started that personal improvement program.  He’s chipping away at your life, changing you and making you different.

God does love you just the way you are.  But God also loves you far too much to let you stay that way.  So He starts making changes in your life life.  Philippians 2:13 “God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him.”  He not only gives you the desire to do the right thing, He gives you the power.  The Bible says that when we come to Christ, He starts changing us.  2 Corinthians 3:18 “And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him.”  This is God’s goal for us – to make us godly, to make us more like Christ.  You ought to be thankful to God for that.

How can you show your thanks to God?

Four ways to say thanks to God.

1.  By singing.

Psalm 147:7 says “Sing out your thanks to Him, sing praises to God.”  We’re singing praise songs together today, but you can sing along with Christian music by yourself alone in your car or at home.

2.  By serving.

We sing with our lips but we serve with our lives.  The Bible says, “Serve the Lord with gladness.”  Hebrews 12:28  says “Since we have a kingdom that nothing can destroy, let us please God by serving Him with thankful hearts.”  

3.  By giving.

The Bible says Psalm 50:14  “Give an offering to show thanks to God.  Give Him what you promised.”  The Bible says that the level of my giving shows the level of my gratitude.  If I’m not giving, I’m not very grateful.  

4.  By telling.

Tell others about Him.  Every time you tell somebody the good news you’re thanking God.  Isaiah 12:4 says “Thank the Lord, praise His name.  Tell the world  of His wondrous love and how mighty He is.”  We have the greatest news in the world, and everybody needs to hear about Jesus.  

So be thankful for God’s grace in your life, God’s plan for your life, your heavenly home, and how God is changing you. And show your thanks by singing, serving, giving, and telling other people about Jesus.